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Towards hydrogen production from waste activated sludge: Principles, challenges and perspectives

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  • Fu, Qizi
  • Wang, Dongbo
  • Li, Xiaoming
  • Yang, Qi
  • Xu, Qiuxiang
  • Ni, Bing-Jie
  • Wang, Qilin
  • Liu, Xuran

Abstract

Hydrogen production from waste activated sludge (WAS) was widely considered and intensively investigated as a promising technology to recover energy from wastewater treatment plants. To date, no efforts have been made on either systematic summarization or critical thinking of the application niche of hydrogen production from WAS treatment. It is therefore time to evaluate whether and how to recover hydrogen in a future paradigm of WAS treatment. In this critical review, the principles and potentials, microorganisms, possible technologies, and process parameters of hydrogen generation were analyzed. Microbial electrolysis cell shows high theoretical hydrogen yield and could utilize a variety of organic compounds as substrates, which is regarded as a prospective technology for hydrogen production. However, the poor organics utilization and rapid consumptions of produced hydrogen hindered hydrogen recovery from WAS. Based on the analysis of the current state of the literatures, the opportunities and challenges of hydrogen production from WAS are rethought, the detailed knowledge gaps and perspective of hydrogen production from WAS were discussed, and the probable solutions of hydrogen recovery from WAS treatment are figured out. To guide the application and development of hydrogen recovery, a more promising avenue through rational integration of the available technologies to form a hybrid process is finally proposed. The integrated operational paradigm of WWTPs could achieve substantial technical, environmental and economic benefits. In addition, how this hybrid process works is illustrated, the challenges of this hybrid process and future efforts to be made in the future are put forward.

Suggested Citation

  • Fu, Qizi & Wang, Dongbo & Li, Xiaoming & Yang, Qi & Xu, Qiuxiang & Ni, Bing-Jie & Wang, Qilin & Liu, Xuran, 2021. "Towards hydrogen production from waste activated sludge: Principles, challenges and perspectives," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:135:y:2021:i:c:s1364032120305712
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2020.110283
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    10. Manuel García & Paula Oulego & Mario Díaz & Sergio Collado, 2021. "Non-Energetic Chemical Products by Fermentation of Hydrolyzed Sewage Sludge," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-37, May.
    11. Kovalev, Andrey A. & Kovalev, Dmitriy A. & Zhuravleva, Elena A. & Katraeva, Inna V. & Panchenko, Vladimir & Fiore, Ugo & Litti, Yuri V., 2022. "Two-stage anaerobic digestion with direct electric stimulation of methanogenesis: The effect of a physical barrier to retain biomass on the surface of a carbon cloth-based biocathode," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 966-977.
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